The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-10-18
A PRISON sHOE.sHoP.
HeW the CoBvfets Work I'm the vfrgtai8
State Penitentiary.

five of Lynn while at Richmond was a
unusual interest, and q slight descrip-
ton of il will no doubt be interesting.
The visit referred to was that enjoyed
by a very few to the Richmond peni-
Tertiary. This oid-time prison is one
of the oldest buildings of its kind In
the United States. 1t was built in 1877
and now contains eight hundred aud
eighteen prisoners, four-ffths of whom
are blacks. All are clothed in prison
uniform. The youngest prisoner with
in the walls is a colored boy. thirteen
years old, who is serving life sentence
for the murder of his brother by shoot
ing.
i As many of our citizens know. the
industry of the penitentisry is shoe
making; the work is controlled by and
is for shoe company of Lynn, Mass.
and a great amount of work is exc
cuted, forty 10 fifty cases of shoes be-
ing turned out per day. The large
prison is really a mammoth shoe shop.
rs no other work is carried on there.
Every branch of the work is kept by
itself, and each room and the prisoners
therein are in charge of foreman and
overseer. The foreman pays his whole
attention to directing the work, while
the overseer's duty is to preserve order,
enforce the rules of the institution.
only as far as his room goes. however,
and only for such length of time as his
men are in his room doing their work.
Every prisoner, when he has learned
one branch of shoemaking, is required
10 do stint Some learn quickly, and
soon become fine workmen. performing
their duty in quick time. and then take
half q days rest Others, in the
same line of work. require all
day to do the certain number
of pairs expected of them. A certain
length of time is given beginners in
which to work before the stint is given.
I'm case the novice shows a disposition
to do his best, and still does not per-
form the required amount of work per
/ day, because Of his lack of experience
and practice, he receives a warning.
and an additional suggestion, perhaps,
and finally becomes able TO perform
the amount of work assigned him. On
the other hand. il man will not learn.
or refuses TO do the number of pairs re-
CURED. he is taken by the overseer to a
place of retirement, held over barrel
by two convicts and given certain
number of lashes on the back. After
this there is little or no trouble.
The whipping is done with single
leather lash. Punishment ranges from
five to thirty-nine lashes, the latter
number being but seldom administered.
and only in cases of very serious misde-
meanor. An occasional spelling of
shoe while in course of manufacture
calls for a reprimand from the over
seer, but when the accidents occur of
ten and are caused by carelessness, or
perhaps done on purpose, the barrel act
is next on the programme.
In the lasting department there are
many expert workmen, and some of
the lasters are not likely to become I'M
accustomed to the work as they are in
for life. An ordinary prisoner. when
learning to last. usually requires seven
weeks practice before he can do good
work reasonably fast. Some have
learned in FIVE weeks, but such eases are
rara Those who are expert in what
ever department they are employed
are permitted to do extra work. and
receive pay in cash. The prisoners are
allowed five ounces of tobacco per
week, and when not at work they are
allowed to smoke their pipes in the cor
ridors facing their cells, where they
promenade or bask in the sun in front
of their cell door. This is the universal
custom when the prisoner has finished
his stint and takes his lay-of rest and
recreation.
The prisoners do more or less trad
ing among themselves, money. tobacco.
sugar and similar articles being the
stock in trade. The male inmates also
go in for little amusement among
themselves. One specially, which af-
fords amusement and q trade COM
bined, is the administering of lashes,
one prisoner with another, in exchange
for half cup of sugar. piece of to-
bacco or a trinket. One receives the
whipping and the sugar, while the oth-
ers apply the rod and enjoy the fun.
Our party was informed that some of
the negroes thought nothing of the
lash, and would take "thirty-nine"
without a finch. Such ones are not
plenty.
Of the white men and women among
the prisoners, but few are able to read
or write. The greater portion of all
who occupy cells in the prison were
committed for thieving. This is par
ticularly the case with the women pris-